Honestly, a coffee shop in Portland made me ditch my outline for good

I was stuck on a story for 3 weeks, trying to plan every scene in a 5-page outline. This guy at the next table saw me scribbling and said 'Just write the part you see right now.' So I did, and the whole thing flowed. Do you think strict planning kills creativity or saves it?

4 comments

4 Comments

kelly3853mo ago

My outlines always felt like cages, honestly.

robins833mo ago

Felt the same way until I switched to just listing key scenes. Lets me know where I'm going without locking down every single step. The freedom made a huge difference.

ray_martinez823mo ago

What kind of outline were you using before? Like, were you trying to plan every single beat and piece of dialogue, or was it more of a chapter-by-chapter summary?

daniel1401mo ago

It is a lot like how some people need a strict budget to feel secure with money, while others just need a general idea of what they can spend. You're not alone in finding too much structure a prison rather than a path.